The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism Is Seducing America
Last Updated on Thursday, 4 March 2010 08:18 Written by admin Thursday, 4 March 2010 08:18
- ISBN13: 9780061582332
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Reality TV. Celebutantes. YouTube. Sex Tapes. Gossip Blogs. Drunk Driving. Tabloids. Drug Overdoses.
Is this entertainment? Why do we keep watching? What does it mean for our kids?
In the last decade, the face of entertainment has changed radically—and dangerously, as addiction specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky and business and entertainment expert Dr. S. Mark Young argue in this eye-opening new book. The soap opera of celebrity behavior we all consume on a daily basis—stories of stars treating rehab like vacation, brazen displays of abusive and self-destructive “diva” antics on TV, shocking sexual imagery in prime time and online, and a constant parade of stars crashing and burning—attracts a huge and hungry audience. As Pinsky and Young show in The Mirror Effect, however, such behavior actually points to a wide-ranging psychological dysfunction among celebrities that may be spreading to the culture at large: the condition known as narcissism.
The host of VH1’s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and of the long-running radio show Loveline, Pinsky recently teamed with Young to conduct the first-ever study of narcissism among celebrities. In the process, they discovered that a high proportion of stars suffer from traits associated with clinical narcissism—including vanity, exhibitionism, entitlement, exploitativeness, self-sufficiency, authority, and superiority. Now, in The Mirror Effect, they explore how these stars, and the media, are modeling such behavior for public consumption—and how the rest of us, especially young people, are mirroring these dangerous traits in our own behavior.
Looking at phenomena as diverse as tabloid exploitation (“Stars . . . they’re just like us!”), reality-TV train wrecks (from The Anna Nicole Show to My Super Sweet 16 to Bad Girls Club), gossip websites (TMZ, PerezHilton, Gawker), and the ever-evolving circle of pop divas known as celebutantes (or, more cruelly, celebutards), The Mirror Effect reveals how figures like Britney and Paris and Lindsay and Amy Winehouse—and their media enablers—have changed what we consider “normal” behavior. It traces the causes of disturbing celebrity antics to their roots in self-hatred and ultimately in childhood disconnection or trauma. And it explores how YouTube, online social networks, and personal blogs offer the temptations and dangers of instant celebrity to the most vulnerable among us.
Informed and provocative, with the warm and empathetic perspective that has won Dr. Drew Pinsky legions of fans, The Mirror Effect raises important questions about our changing culture—and provides insights for parents, young people, and anyone who wonders what celebrity culture is doing to America.
The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism Is Seducing America
Judging by the cover, this is an excellent book. Since I bought it as a gift, I didn’t actually read it.
Rating: 5 / 5
Dr. Drew Pinsky was Dr. Pinsky, M.D. long before he became “Dr. Drew.” This should be understood by fans, friends and the heretofore inappreciative alike, before any curious minds dip into this quite relevant and surprisingly readable work of Social Science.
Now, before I begin my consideration for this very, very good and important book, I would not like to say the following: That is, that one, with far less tact than I might make note of the fact that “Dr. Drew,” the otherwise noble gentleman professor, currently hosts a program featuring a revolting cast of mirror-gazing, self-loathing, former celebrities; all of whom have yielded the balance of their fame to drugs, liquor, naughty unkempt women and parties on IBIZA.
Their nasty little lives are captured on film while Drew attempts a bit of mending, while wholly apotheosizing this sad Hollywood refuse. He, this good and great Doctor of Medicine is celebrating their tiny movements up the ladder toward sobriety, and their god awful, long-enduring falls downwards. I think it wrong. But I will not mention it. Someone else might, but I shall not.
To the task at hand.
This is a book written by two gentleman–one taking the left pages, the other taking the right. A common practice; something done to accelerate the production of a work of this nature. The two principals are Dr. Drew Pinsky and Dr. S. Mark Young. Dr. Young is described by the editors at HarperCollins as “an expert in the psychology and economics of celebrity” and one who “holds the George Bozanic chair and Holman G. Hurt Chair in Sports and Business Entertainment.” Truly, one must raise one’s fist to the sky and cry, “My God, Man! With so much furniture in the air, how can you write?” Indeed, he is a worthy partner to Dr. Pinsky’s labours.
The adventure these two gentleman doctors go on is one to explore narcissism among celebrities; and how that product effects–if it does so effect–those outside of the world of celebrity who are in some form of contact with celebrity. I shan’t give `way the results. The book is a great one, I think. Perhaps not the next Arthur Janov effort, PRIMAL SCREAM or the present grand and electric Stanley Milgram, OBEDIENCE TO AUTHORITY; or . . . perhaps, so.
They speak of a subject that touches all of us, even if that cursory touch is thought long gone from ourselves. Think of how we chose friends in high school . . . More to the point, I’m reluctant to say, think of how GIRLS chose friends in high school . . . Think of how we choose members of our fraternity . . . of how we choose lab partners, members of our study group . . .
It is not just a celebrity affliction; and to press this point, I’ve created the following fictional situation:
When 14-year-old Samantha watches 17-year-old Christina sing on American Idol, she hears not the song, nor identifies that glorious way in which that Christina presents her song. In fact, dear Samantha is not interested in anything that may separate her from THAT GIRL ON THE SCREEN. What she is looking for–perhaps in a subliminal manner–is all that she shares with that girl on the screen; everything between the two that may bring Christina closer to Samantha. And she does this to prove a very simple fact; a fact, following comprehension, blossoms like some kind of blossoming flower.
Samantha has found she is close to Christina is several ways; all having not a thing to do with what got Christina up there, on to the stage, and blissfully progressing through round after round on American Idol. To Samantha, this proves she is not a girl without fame, she is a currently lacking fame. To the 14-year-old mind of Samantha, their similarity proves to her she SHALL BE FAMOUS. As time passes, and fame does not come knocking, Samantha’s elder mind shall tell her, (perhaps yell to her), I SHOULD BE FAMOUS.
Christina continues on, recording brilliant CDs with Ocre Radba and Brian Eno; she tours the world and we all cry out her name for she sings like an ANGEL with a little tiny tat (tattoo) on her ankle. Christina succeeds because Christina has . . . MERIT.
Samantha – I SHOULD BE FAMOUS – too, has the merits. She noted them that night she first caught Christina on TV. She even scribbled them down for future reference.
In FULL, They READ: same jeans w/ btflowers on pocket
Same shoes diff colr
Same hair , longer than mine GROW IT!!!!!!
Longr nails, mine r pretier
Belt diff , can gt that one
She has (so she believes now) the MERITS to be famous; and fame will come – THAT, for Miss SAMANTHA, is incontestable.
And there spreads this truly ugly affliction.
During a March 19th interview with Laura Ingram, Ms. Ingram was rather floored by the principles Dr. Pinsky set out before her; especially those ones that did NOT directly connect to the celebrity classes. “You’re unlocking something profound” she remarked. I second her sentiment, and think this book will find great success in what is ill-termed by the celebrity classes as “fly-over country” (that is, anything between California and New York). The conclusions you may draw from this book might have you blessing them for their short-sightedness. Miss Hilton, please keep on flying over the friendly skies.
David Avender, 03-2009
Rating: 5 / 5
The extensive anecdotes of celebrity behaviors and the public’s mirroring of them go beyond instructive to prurient – thus perpetuating the problem. Sorry I spent my $$ on this. Just was wanting insight into the problem of narcissism, not more celebrity entertainment.
Rating: 2 / 5
A very interesting overview of narcissism in our society, particularly how the media in all forms is affecting our younger people.
Rating: 3 / 5
This book is very interesting but will not keep you up at night wanting to get to the next chapter. It is good and worth reading especially if you have young kids or teens.
Rating: 4 / 5